diff --git a/index.css b/index.css
index 2710593f..1e188511 100644
--- a/index.css
+++ b/index.css
@@ -991,12 +991,6 @@ body button.noicon {
   stroke-width: 0.4;
 }
 
-#controlCells > .available {
-  fill: #82ff9b40;
-  stroke: #82ff9b;
-  stroke-width: 0.4;
-}
-
 #controlCells > .occupied {
   fill: #ff828240;
   stroke: #ff8282;
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 7e059523..8efe46c5 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -1656,7 +1656,6 @@
       </div>
 
       <div id="riverBottom">
-        <button id="riverNew" data-tip="Create new river clicking on map" class="icon-map-pin"></button>
         <button id="riverEditStyle" data-tip="Edit style for all rivers in Style Editor" class="icon-brush"></button>
         <button id="riverElevationProfile" data-tip="Show the elevation profile for the river" class="icon-chart-area"></button>
         <button id="riverLegend" data-tip="Edit free text notes (legend) for the river" class="icon-edit"></button>
diff --git a/modules/ui/rivers-editor.js b/modules/ui/rivers-editor.js
index cdfea1b9..4d73e79c 100644
--- a/modules/ui/rivers-editor.js
+++ b/modules/ui/rivers-editor.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ function editRiver(id) {
 
   elSelected = d3.select("#" + id);
 
-  viewbox.on("touchmove mousemove", showEditorTips);
+  tip("Drag control points to change the river course. For major changes please create a new river instead", true);
   debug.append("g").attr("id", "controlCells");
   debug.append("g").attr("id", "controlPoints");
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ function editRiver(id) {
   const {cells, points} = river;
   const riverPoints = Rivers.getRiverPoints(cells, points);
   drawControlPoints(riverPoints, cells);
-  drawRiverCells(cells);
+  drawCells(cells, "current");
 
   $("#riverEditor").dialog({
     title: "Edit River",
@@ -40,17 +40,11 @@ function editRiver(id) {
   document.getElementById("riverMainstem").addEventListener("change", changeParent);
   document.getElementById("riverSourceWidth").addEventListener("input", changeSourceWidth);
   document.getElementById("riverWidthFactor").addEventListener("input", changeWidthFactor);
-  document.getElementById("riverNew").addEventListener("click", toggleRiverCreationMode);
   document.getElementById("riverEditStyle").addEventListener("click", () => editStyle("rivers"));
   document.getElementById("riverElevationProfile").addEventListener("click", showElevationProfile);
   document.getElementById("riverLegend").addEventListener("click", editRiverLegend);
   document.getElementById("riverRemove").addEventListener("click", removeRiver);
 
-  function showEditorTips() {
-    tip("Drag control points for minor change, to change cells add a new river", true);
-    showMainTip();
-  }
-
   function getRiver() {
     const riverId = +elSelected.attr("id").slice(5);
     const river = pack.rivers.find(r => r.i === riverId);
@@ -112,52 +106,34 @@ function editRiver(id) {
       .call(d3.drag().on("start", dragControlPoint));
   }
 
-  function drawRiverCells(cells) {
+  function drawCells(cells, type) {
     debug
       .select("#controlCells")
-      .selectAll("polygon.current")
+      .selectAll(`polygon.${type}`)
       .data(cells)
       .join("polygon")
       .attr("points", d => getPackPolygon(d))
-      .attr("class", "current");
-  }
-
-  function drawAvailableCells(cells) {
-    debug
-      .select("#controlCells")
-      .selectAll("polygon.available")
-      .data(cells)
-      .join("polygon")
-      .attr("points", d => getPackPolygon(d))
-      .attr("class", "available");
+      .attr("class", type);
   }
 
   function dragControlPoint() {
-    const {c, r, fl, conf} = pack.cells;
+    const {i, r, fl} = pack.cells;
     const river = getRiver();
-    const {cells} = river;
 
     const initCell = +this.dataset.cell;
     const index = +this.dataset.i;
-    const prev = cells[index - 1];
-    const next = cells[index + 1];
-    const availableCells = conf[initCell]
-      ? []
-      : c[initCell]
-          .filter(neib => !r[neib])
-          .filter(neib => !prev || c[neib].includes(prev))
-          .filter(neib => !next || c[neib].includes(next));
 
+    const occupiedCells = i.filter(i => r[i] && !river.cells.includes(i));
+    drawCells(occupiedCells, "occupied");
     let movedToCell = null;
-    drawAvailableCells(availableCells);
 
     d3.event.on("drag", function () {
       const {x, y} = d3.event;
       const currentCell = findCell(x, y);
 
       if (initCell !== currentCell) {
-        if (availableCells.includes(currentCell)) movedToCell = currentCell;
-        else return;
+        if (occupiedCells.includes(currentCell)) return;
+        movedToCell = currentCell;
       } else movedToCell = null;
 
       this.setAttribute("cx", x);
@@ -170,16 +146,17 @@ function editRiver(id) {
       if (movedToCell) {
         this.dataset.cell = movedToCell;
         river.cells[index] = movedToCell;
+        drawCells(river.cells, "current");
 
+        // swap river data
         r[initCell] = 0;
         r[movedToCell] = river.i;
         const sourceFlux = fl[initCell];
         fl[initCell] = fl[movedToCell];
         fl[movedToCell] = sourceFlux;
-        drawRiverCells(river.cells);
       }
 
-      debug.select("#controlCells").selectAll("polygon.available").remove();
+      debug.select("#controlCells").selectAll("polygon.available, polygon.occupied").remove();
     });
   }
 
@@ -247,66 +224,6 @@ function editRiver(id) {
     editNotes(id, river.name + " " + river.type);
   }
 
-  function toggleRiverCreationMode() {
-    if (document.getElementById("riverNew").classList.contains("pressed")) exitRiverCreationMode();
-    else {
-      document.getElementById("riverNew").classList.add("pressed");
-      tip("Click on map to add control points", true, "warn");
-      viewbox.on("click", addPointOnClick).style("cursor", "crosshair");
-      elSelected.on("click", null);
-    }
-  }
-
-  function addPointOnClick() {
-    if (!elSelected.attr("data-new")) {
-      debug.select("#controlPoints").selectAll("circle").remove();
-      const id = getNextId("river");
-      elSelected = d3.select(elSelected.node().parentNode).append("path").attr("id", id).attr("data-new", 1);
-    }
-
-    // add control point
-    const point = d3.mouse(this);
-    // addControlPoint([point[0], point[1]]);
-    redrawRiver();
-  }
-
-  function exitRiverCreationMode() {
-    riverNew.classList.remove("pressed");
-    clearMainTip();
-    viewbox.on("click", clicked).style("cursor", "default");
-
-    if (!elSelected.attr("data-new")) return; // no need to create a new river
-    elSelected.attr("data-new", null);
-
-    // add a river
-    const r = +elSelected.attr("id").slice(5);
-    const node = elSelected.node();
-    const length = node.getTotalLength() / 2;
-
-    const cells = [];
-
-    const segments = Math.ceil(length / 4);
-    const increment = rn((length / segments) * 1e5);
-    for (let i = increment * segments, c = i; i >= 0; i -= increment, c += increment) {
-      const p = node.getPointAtLength(i / 1e5);
-      const cell = findCell(p.x, p.y);
-      if (!pack.cells.r[cell]) pack.cells.r[cell] = r;
-      cells.push(cell);
-    }
-
-    const source = cells[0];
-    const mouth = last(cells);
-    const name = Rivers.getName(mouth);
-    const smallLength = pack.rivers.map(r => r.length || 0).sort((a, b) => a - b)[Math.ceil(pack.rivers.length * 0.15)];
-    const type = length < smallLength ? rw({Creek: 9, River: 3, Brook: 3, Stream: 1}) : "River";
-
-    const discharge = rn(cells.length * 20 * Math.random());
-    const widthFactor = +document.getElementById("riverWidthFactor").value;
-    const sourceWidth = +document.getElementById("riverSourceWidth").value;
-
-    pack.rivers.push({i: r, source, mouth, discharge, length, width: sourceWidth, widthFactor, sourceWidth, parent: 0, name, type, basin: r});
-  }
-
   function removeRiver() {
     alertMessage.innerHTML = "Are you sure you want to remove the river and all its tributaries";
     $("#alert").dialog({
@@ -318,7 +235,7 @@ function editRiver(id) {
           $(this).dialog("close");
           const river = +elSelected.attr("id").slice(5);
           Rivers.remove(river);
-          elSelected.remove(); // keep if river if missed in pack.rivers
+          elSelected.remove();
           $("#riverEditor").dialog("close");
         },
         Cancel: function () {
@@ -329,11 +246,10 @@ function editRiver(id) {
   }
 
   function closeRiverEditor() {
-    exitRiverCreationMode();
-    elSelected.on("click", null);
     debug.select("#controlPoints").remove();
     debug.select("#controlCells").remove();
     unselect();
+    clearMainTip();
 
     const forced = +document.getElementById("toggleCells").dataset.forced;
     document.getElementById("toggleCells").dataset.forced = 0;